There is no doubt that The Indian Premier League changed the way we play and watch cricket. It made a game that was already exciting, into a thrilling experience where tables can turn with the spin of every ball. While the IPL has had a fair share of troubles and scandals in the past, it remains equally popular today as when it first started in 2008.
Cricket was always the most-loved sport in India, but IPL further increased its fame. Now, sports fans who couldn’t watch games because of their length, take our three to four hours from their busy schedules to watch some of the best players battle it out on the field. In terms of the fans, cricket has some of the most passionate ones, only comparable to those of football. However, recent events have resulted in a lull in sports activities across the world. Thankfully, a change is upon us, as seen through the return of Bundesliga, which will encourage other sports to resume as well. For IPL, things are still uncertain, and when it starts, the chances are we will have to watch games on TV only.
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So, in the meantime, it’s only apt that we take the focus away from the resting players and put it on the fans, and how there are different types of IPL fans that themselves add a hint of cheeky fun into watching the game.
The Know-It-All
The know-it-all fan is either loved by everyone, or they just find him to be too academic. He or she is a fan who has in-depth knowledge about the entire game, its statistics, and won’t hold back talking about it, after every ball. Some people might find it interesting to know about fun facts like which player has a habit of scoring a six on the third ball of every fifth over he faces, but then it is also information that many do not care about. Nevertheless, it is always nice to have a know-it-all in your team of friends, as you never know when IPL trivia might come in handy, especially during pub quizzes.
The Switcher
The switcher is part cunning and part confused. A fan who can never decide on one team to support, they are more than likely to go with whatever state is winning at the time. Now, the nature of IPL is such that it involves a lot of players from across the country, as well as fans who might not be from a particular state. So a person can be from a non-playing state, making it easy for them to support Punjab one day, Delhi the next, and Mumbai on the third. Therefore, buying one team’s jersey might not be recommended for a switching fan. Still, the fact that it is possible to support so many teams, at the same time, is also part of IPL’s charm.
The Die-Hard Fan
The die-hard fan is like any fan of India cricket. They not only stick to supporting one team, no matter what, but will go to every match, and shout out their lungs in support of the players. They are also the ones most invested in the day-to-day happenings of their team. From having a comment on every change to what the team should have done to win a lost match, they have strong opinions and do not hold back when it comes to sharing them.
The Movie Fan
One reason for the success of IPL has been the involvement of prominent industrialists and movie stars, who own the IPL teams. The movie fan cares little about the game itself but will follow and support a team based on its owner. For example, a fan of the actor Shahrukh Khan, who lives in Delhi, might support Kolkata Knight Riders, whereas one who like Preity Zinta will cheer for the Punjab King’s XI, irrespective of their resident state.
